Talk about leadership and someone will ask if leaders are born or made. If you’re just idly chatting, it’s a fine pointless question to pass the time with. If you want to develop as a leader, I suggest the question will waste your time. No great leader started leading in a vacuum, nor as a child. They all developed somehow. Even if they had a greater potential than you do,[…] Keep reading →

If you don’t eat meat, people ask you “Where do you get your protein?” a lot. It’s been so long since I ate meat, I don’t think about protein. I eat what I like. No problem. After nearly a quarter-century including competing at Nationals for Ultimate, running six marathons, getting a PhD in physics, and doing about 50,000 burpees, and various other mental and physical achievements, if any problems haven’t[…] Keep reading →

“You can live cheaper in New York City than any place in the world” A friend once said that in college in response to someone saying New York City cost a lot to live in. He may have overstated things, but I’ve found the mental model useful. It’s on my mind because I’m visiting Brazil for the first time for a friend’s wedding and we’re getting nailed at every turn[…] Keep reading →

[EDIT: I covered this series in more depth in Leadership Step by Step, so I recommend the book, but the core is here. I use this technique as a part of my life, basically daily.] Here is The Method on how to use The Model—my model for the human emotional system designed for use in leadership, self-awareness, and general purpose professional and personal development—in series form. I find the Model[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on “Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours.” If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Do you ever hold back from trying to learn something because you know you’ll have to try several times to get it right? Are you afraid[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on “Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours.” If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] What can you do to improve your life the most? Exercise more? Eat more healthily? Save or earn more money? Improve your social skills? Buy a[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on “Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours.” If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] If you believe everything that happens has a cause, when something happens you want to change you look for the cause and change it. You might[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on “Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours.” If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Doesn’t it bother you when someone treats you like a preconceived notion instead of the person you are? Doesn’t it feel dehumanizing? Today’s belief came from[…] Keep reading →

[This post is part of a series on “Mental models and beliefs: an exercise to identify yours.” If you don’t see a Table of Contents to the left, click here to view the series, where you’ll get more value than reading just this post.] Scene 1: You plan something big. You’re excited. You know there will be challenges, but you also know you’ll overcome them. You will do what it[…] Keep reading →